He's Like A Knife In My Head
by SgtPastulio
Summary: KaibaxOC. Just when Ren had hit rock bottom, she thought she had found a way to pick things up again. She was wrong. "Back when I met you, I didn't have a clue..."
1. Part 1, Chapter 1

Back when I met you, I didn't have a clue...

---

"Emi!" Ren Kuroki dropped her keys and purse at the front door of her apartment, carelessly kicking off her shoes as she made her way inside, "Emi, did you do the dishes? I mean, it's only fair, Em, I did the laundry, and the shopping, so the least you could do is..."

She stopped dead, taking a good look at her surroundings. It was oddly clean. Clean was not normal. Though Ren usually tried her best to keep the apartment as clean as possible, her roommate Emi did her very best to stumble home at one in the morning and knock over as many things as possible.

Emi was a party-girl, through and through, much to Ren's dismay. Fresh out of high school, and she was already drinking college seniors under the table. She was a beer pong champion at the Domino City Community College, and had a rather nasty habit of vomiting in the laundry hamper whenever she was home.

Quite a change from the AP Biotech student Ren had once known and loved.

But now that she had gotten a better look around the apartment, she realized that it hadn't been cleaned at all. Things were missing. The chair and ottoman, the television, two full shelves of trinkets and books, posters and photos off the walls, the stereo... Great. Robbed. Fanfuckingtastic.

Ren plopped down onto the couch, head in her hands, trying not to cry. She didn't cry. Crying was for pansies and poodles, and she was neither. She had been robbed. That was it. Someone had broken into the house and taken her things. It wouldn't have been a difficult feat, either, last she had seen Emi, she was passed out, drooling on the couch, adding to the fond vomit stains on the upholstery.

But when she thought back on it... where was Emi?

And that was when she saw it. A folded piece of printer paper on the coffee table, with Ren scrawled across the top. She snatched it up and began to read aloud...

"Ren,

Sorry, love, but I took my shit and hauled ass out of here. I'm going to live with Matsuo. You remember, right? That hottie we met at Tama's party? Or were you there? I can't remember... Anywho, it was fun while it lasted, let's go clubbing sometime!

Love ya lots!

-Emi Takumo"

Ren shook her head, gazing off in frustration. "Love me lots, huh?" she asked, laughing weakly, "PS? PS: Sorry, Ren, but I'm not good for this month's rent money. Think you could go ahead and take care of that? Oh, of course Emi. I'll take care of your rent for this month. After all, I take care of it ten months out of twelve already!"

Fucked.

Ren balled up the letter and hucked it across the living area. She was utterly fucked. Her video-rental salary just barely paid for food and half of the rent. She refused to ask her parents for financial help again, she'd already had to borrow money from them to pay the rent for the past couple of months. She wouldn't move back home, and she wouldn't ask them for help. She was going on twenty years old, a grown woman now. And she would not beg her parents for money.

"A second, job, that's it..." she mumbled, working out a plan in her head, "I'll just get a second job. It shouldn't be too hard, at least I don't have to worry about paying for school or anything on top of that..."

She sighed, taking another glance around the apartment. The television was gone. The television that she had to save for months to be able to afford to pay her half. All that Emi had left her was a macaroni vomit stain gleaming fondly on her rug.

"Home, sweet home."

*****

"Hi there! Are you all set, here?"

Ren hated video rental. Hated it. Among the many things that she hated in life, her job was topped the list. Every year since the tenth grade, she swore to herself that she would work a job that was better than the last. A job that paid a bit better than minimum wage. A job that had a bit more reasonable hours. A job that was a bit less humiliating to work. A job that she detested just a bit less than the last one. She hated that she had to play bitch to six different bosses, hated that she had to take crap from idiot customers who didn't know what they were talking about, and she hated having to put on that perky facade and sit there and take all of that abuse.

But still, she held her head high. These Joe Jobs were just stepping stones on her way to her ultimate goal of becoming a photographer.

Ren had opted out of going to college, instead choosing to go straight into the working world. She felt as though more study of the subject of photography would sour the experience, and Ren wanted to experience her true passion on her own. She was always an independent learner, a hands-on kind of girl, and was never very good at doing things the conventional way.

Needless to say, her parents were a bit disappointed that she hadn't gone right into a university. But Ren didn't care. Her sisters, Karin and Michiyo, were still in high school and were already planning their college lives. They'd go to college and do wonderfully. Besides, two college graduates out of three children was still a passing grade for their parents. Ren would find her own way to succeed in life.

But right now, she was having a hard time convincing people that working at Video Hut was an intentional part of her master plan.

"Um, yeah, why does it say that it's going to be thirty-six bucks for a video rental?" asked the balding man at the counter, looking down at the pin pad, "I just want Blazing Saddles."

"Oh, it says here that you have quite the late fee..." said Ren, checking the computer, "Thirty-two dollars for that movie 300. It says that you still haven't returned it."

"What!?" he exclaimed, "I brought that back weeks ago! Something must be wrong, maybe something's wrong with your system."

"Sir, it says right here that you've had this movie for five weeks past its due date, it's not logged as being here in the store, it's not been rented out by anyone except you. You must still have it."

"I'd beg to differ." he said, visibly reddening. She tried so hard not to sigh and roll her eyes. The purple veiny guy was going to have a hissy fit right here in the middle of the store, and Ren was going to have to take the brunt of the attack. It was going to be a long day...

"Sir, this late fee's only going to get worse with time." she reasoned, trying to do her best damage control, "If you still have it, it's fine, no skin off my nose or anything. If you just pay the fee now, it'll be like you just bought the movie."

"But, I returned it!" he snapped. This was where it always got ugly... "You know, I really hate it when you movie places slap on these late fees and shit just so you can squeeze a couple extra bucks out of us! It's mad! I'm not paying this late fee, and you can't make me!"

"Fine, then you can just leave and not get the movie." she said, doing her best to calm the eggplant man, without actually losing her own patience, "We're not going to make you pay it right now, but it's our policy to not let you rent anything more until it is paid."

"No way, I'm a paying customer!"

"Obviously not..." she mumbled, wondering to herself just how long until her next break was.

But before Ren could further ponder that thought, the DVD box was thrown in her face, smacking her in the nose. It clattered down onto the counter, the disc flying free of the case. She blinked twice, not sure exactly what had just happened. This guy had just thrown a DVD case at her face. A completely unprovoked attack on her person. A more responsible employee would have had him escorted from the premises, but Ren was not a responsible employee.

Before she could think her actions through, she had thrown the case back at him, hitting him square in his ugly mug. Ha. He had it coming.

"Miss Kuroki!" Oh, Hell. Roseanne again. Yui Mizuhashi, regional manager of Video Hut, was currently waddling her way towards the hubbub. Of course. The lardo had to stuff her fat nose into everyone's business. Mizuhashi, a short stout woman with the worst Napoleon complex Ren had ever seen, had witnessed the whole event from three registers down, and just had to give her own say on the event. "What on Earth is wrong with you!? That is a customer! I'm going to have to write you up for this!"

Ren rolled her eyes, thoroughly sick of the world. "You know what?" she asked, tearing off her team lanyard and slapping it down on the counter, slamming her work keys down next to it with a loud clatter, "You go ahead and do that. Fuck this, I hate this job, I hate these mindless sheep coming in here, and I hate you!"

"Ren!" she shrieked, stomping over to register one, "You are in front of customers! Go to my office and wait for me there."

"Fuck this job - I quit!" Ouch, Ren hadn't planned on that. But she had to stick with her decision! Once it had been said, it couldn't be taken back. She had quit, and she wasn't going back, so she grabbed her bottled water and stomped her way out of the store, legging the glass door slam shut behind her.

She blinked, surprised. Clearly she had never had anyone blow up on her like that. "You can't quit!" she yelled after her, "You're fired!"

Mizuhashi nodded in victory with the slam of the door. "Yeah. That's right. You just try and come back. Give it a week, you'll be begging for your job back, Ren Kuroki."

*****

"I'm boned..." Ren mumbled, once she had found a way through the epic parking structure to her moped. She was really beginning to feel the sting of what she'd done. It wasn't an intelligent move, especially in the financial state she was in. But she certainly wasn't about to walk back in there and ask for her job back. That would mean submission, and Ren Kuroki wasn't about to submit to that pig of a woman.

She sighed, strapping on her mod white helmet over choppy, almost boyish brunette locks. She hadn't had a haircut in a while, and it looked like it was going to be a bit longer, now...

As she fired up her moped, a flyer taped to the door of the phone booth in front of her caught her eye. In bold print was 'Babysitter Wanted : Exceptional Pay'.

'Exceptional pay, eh?' It was worth a look.

Full time babysitter wanted to look over fifteen-year-old tech enthusiast. Provides benefits and generous pay. If interested, come to 22 Shinjuhime Court on the morning of October second at promptly eleven o'clock.

No previous experience is necessary.

Ren grinned her cheshire grin, tearing the advertisement from the phone booth. "Cha-ching."


	2. Part 1, Chapter 2

Of the horrible agony you would put me through...

---

Twenty-two Shinjuhime Court was located in the hills of Domino, set out a distance away from the suburbs, the actual estate overlooking the city without feeling too industrial. The area was homey and quiet, yet not too isolated, and close enough to the city without being too loud and rowdy. The estate itself was nothing Ren had been expecting, a manor set at the peak of the highest hill, vast lawns and gardens rolling out in all directions for what seemed like days. Whoever the kid was that needed a sitter was loaded, and Ren couldn't wrap her mind around why they wanted anyone like her.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." She groaned, upon reaching the manor gates and finding an epic line twisting its way all the way down to the main gates. Apparently a lot of people thought they were good for the job. But Ren was confident; nobody was better with teenagers than she was, that was for sure. With two sisters, a junior and freshman in high school, she had fifteen years of babysitting under her belt, and the bulk of it was done while her sisters were from the ages of ten to fifteen. She had the experience and the skill, now all Ren needed to do was nail the interview.

"Excuse me?" She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to face an elder woman, probably around the same age as her mother, "Is this where the line ends?"

"Oh, yeah." Ren replied nonchalantly, stepping forward to give the woman a bit more space in the line.

"So, you must be trying for the job, too." Said the older woman, completely stating the obvious. Ren rolled her eyes skyward, facing away from her so as to not be rude. "Well, I've got twenty plus years of sitting under my belt, I'm sure I can handle any fourteen year-old lad. How long have you been babysitting, dear?"

"I dunno." Ren shrugged, forcing polite conversation. She was never much of a small-talk person. "I've got two little sisters, so I'd say about maybe fifteen years. Say, do you know whose house this is? This is insane - I bet my whole apartment is the size of one bathroom."

"Why, no, I'm afraid I don't." She said, "I just answered the newspaper ad. I hear that whoever they are, they're desperate."

"Really, now?" Ren mused, nodding slowly. Either the parents had really high standards or the kid was just a brat.

Before Ren could formulate another coherent thought, her brain functions were jumbled by the grating sound of megaphone feedback. "Excuse me!" called a moderately high voice from the head of the line. Most likely a boy, maybe even the kid himself. "We would like to have anyone who can operate a cell phone, email, or an iPod, and is under the age of twenty-five to come to the front of the line. Anyone who does not fall into that category, I'm sorry to say this, but your services are no longer required. Have a nice day, and thank you for coming out!"

"Oh, foo." The elder woman pouted, shaking her head, "That's not me. Good luck then, Miss!"

This was her chance! And she took it while she still had it. Snatching up her bag, Ren yelled her thanks to the old woman and bolted to the front of the line, forcing her way through the crowd of middle-agers, some grumbling about how they had only just turned twenty-six, and that they still looked seventeen. Father Time was on her side today, as she slid into the front spot in line, prepared to rock the kid's world.

"Sorry, thank you for coming out." Said that same child-like voice again, this time coming from a short teenaged boy, with long dark hair, and pretty grey eyes. Well, he had good looking genes, that was for sure. Maybe he was a model's kid or something. The boy was walking out a young girl, maybe in her twenties, who was crying her eyes out as she was escorted off the premises. He made sure that she made it all the way to her car, before addressing Ren. "Are you next, Miss?"

"Yep, I'm Ren." She said, introducing herself, "And you are...?"

"Mokuba!" He grasped her hand firmly, giving it a good shake before releasing her. "It's nice to meet you, Ren. Come on inside."

And with that, he took her by the hand and led her into the manor. And Ren had been right: one of the bathrooms was definitely the size of her entire apartment. She really wanted to know who Mokuba's parents were; she was positive that she would recognize them from the news, or something.

"Seto!" Called Mokuba, pushing the door to a large library open, "I've got the next girl."

Fucka lucka ding dong.

"Seto Kaiba." Ren monotoned, completely floored. The CEO glanced up from his paperwork, looked back down, and then back up again, studying her closely.

"You look familiar." He said, picking a pen from the cup on his desk and fiddling with it, "Did I go to school with you?"

"Long time, Kaiba, to Domino High together." Said Ren, shaking his hand and trying hard not to wipe her palm on her jeans afterward. "Class of oh-four. I haven't seen you since graduation. You sat next to me in the ceremony. Kaiba, Kuroki... whatever..."

"Mm." He grunted, nodding his head once. One solid movement downwards. "Sit. Time is money."

And sit she did, plopping herself in what felt like an electric chair, across the desk from Kaiba. He fixed his gaze on his paperwork, not even sparing Ren more than a passing glance.

Ren, on basic principle, had detested Seto Kaiba when she had known him in high school. He was, for lack of a better word, a dick, and she had a hard time not letting him know that when she had encounters with him. Seto Kaiba wasn't a dick like the typical dicks at her school. He wasn't a sexist, chauvinistic idiot like the other boys, no, Kaiba was a special brand of dick. He was the egotistical, holier-than-thou kind of asshole, who walked around the school like he was better than everyone else. She had the misfortune of sharing two classes with him in her senior year, and she spent the majority of those classes (when she wasn't sleeping, of course) glaring at the back of his head.

"So, could you please state your name, for the record." The elder Kaiba began, crossing one leg over the other and clicking his pen. Ren had to suppress an angry twitch. And that way he sat, too. Ugh, he just oozed ego. But she had to put all that aside for the sake of the interview. She needed a job, and she was ready to do anything to keep her apartment and food on the table.

"Ren Kuroki." She replied, not surprised that he had forgotten her. Rich guy like that, he probably had a lot more important things on his mind.

"Age and date of birth?"

"Nineteen, and I'll be twenty on November twenty-second."

"Do you have any living parents or siblings?"

"My mother and father, Miwa and Kazuma Kuroki, and my little sisters, Karin and Michiyo."

"Do you have any previous babysitting experience?"

"Fourteen or fifteen years with my younger sisters."

"Can you cook?"

"Define 'cook'."

Kaiba looked up then, studying Ren as though she were some sort of retard. "Cook. Like make food."

"I know that much." She snipped back, having a hard time not rolling her eyes. "I mean like what kind of cooking? I'm no cordon bleu cook, but I can make basic food."

"And are you good with computers?" Kaiba continued, as though the previous question hadn't been addressed. Ren chewed on her bottom lip, trying to keep her tongue in check.

"Sure." She said, "I can put one together if I have to."

"And are you prepared to watch my little brother twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, whenever your services are required?" Kaiba asked, suddenly focusing all of his attention on her, fixing his piercing, icy gaze right on her eyes, "I can't have anything happening to him while I'm not around."

Ren leaned forward then, resting her elbows on the desk and meeting his gaze. "I have two little sisters of my own. I know how important it is to protect your family."

The pair continued their standoff, neither wanting to back off before the other. Ren's soft honey gaze met Kaiba's cold blue stare moment for moment. She knew about intimidation, and wasn't going to back off for fear of being labeled a weakling.

"Don't worry about impressing Seto, Ren." Mokuba interrupted, sitting cross-legged in his chair to the right of his brother. "He's just here to intimidate you. All you really need to do is impress me. Just be yourself. I have a few questions for you, too, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." She nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. Mokuba at least seemed a bit more easy-going than his brother was. For growing up privileged, he seemed very chill and down-to-earth.

"So, you went to Domino High?"

"Yep, class of 2004."

"Okay." he grinned, "What's your favorite color?"

"Purple."

"Gaming platform?"

"Easily a DS."

"Movie?"

"Ugh." Ren laughed for the first time that afternoon, thinking the question over, "I think it's a tie right now between 300 and Dawn of the Dead."

"Food?"

"I'm a sucker for day-old cold pizza, but I'm never going to turn down an apricot."

"Television show?"

"Heroes."

"I like her, Seto." Mokuba grinned, and Ren couldn't help but smile back. Yes, yes! Perfect. Ren cheered internally, being that much closer to her goal...

"Are you sure?" His brother asked in a whisper. Well, shit. Ren suddenly felt as though an anvil had fallen on her head. She had forgotten about the elder Kaiba. "I want you to think long and hard about who you want to be your babysitter. We may find someone better than her."

"Seto, you know her!" Mokuba whispered back, "You went to high school together, and it may as well be someone you know and that I like, than someone random. She's cool, I like her, and you're never going to see her, anyway."

The pair conversed for a while more, while Ren sat there, feeling completely out of place in her blue jeans and yellow coat. She just didn't fit well here, among Japan's elite.

"Welcome to KaibaCorp, Miss Kuroki." Said Kaiba, reaching out to shake her hand, catching her off guard. Ren blinked twice, surprised, before taking his hand.

"Seriously?" She asked, laughing a bit as she tried to grasp what was really happening. "Well, thanks, Kaiba, you don't know how badly I needed this job."

"Mm..." He grunted. Always the quiet, moody kid. He hadn't changed a bit since high school. "We'll be starting you off on a monthly salary, so your first payday will be the first of November. We'll be starting you off on forty dollars an hour, and we'll go from th--"

"No shit!?" Ren exclaimed, losing the filter between her mouth and her brain for just a moment, "Goddamn, that's more than I would be making if I'd have gone to college!"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, sir!" She blurted out, trying to cover her fumble. "Actually, that's fine, absolutely fine. When do I start?"

"Now. I have to go to work, I've been wasting time here all morning." said Kaiba, gathering his things together and heading out of the study, "Mokuba, be sure to show her around. Miss Kuroki, your first task is to get all of these people the fuck off of my lawn."

"I..."

"Bye, Seto!" said Mokuba, running see his brother off as he made for the door. The elder Kaiba stopped, took his things into one hand and hugged his brother with one arm, a good lasting hug. "Have a good day at work, big brother."

Kaiba spared a kind smile, ruffling his younger brother's hair as he readjusted his person. And just like that, he was gone, pushing his way through the sea of people outside and making his way to his vehicle.

"Well, that was the first time I have ever seen that guy smile." Ren smirked, as soon as Kaiba was good and gone. "Does he do that often around here?"

"Not really." Mokuba chuckled, rolling his eyes, "He does for me, though. But you'll grow on him. That's how it is with all the new maids and stuff. But it has been a while since we've hired anyone new..."

"Hah, fat chance." she laughed, "He's a whole different school of human. We're on different ends of the social spectrum. We're too different."

Ren paused for a moment, considering exactly what she had gotten herself into. Nanny to the most expensive fifteen year old boy in all of Japan. That was serious business. But it wasn't like he was the Prime Minister's kid or anything. Just a celebrity's brother. What was the worst that could happen?

"But I suppose I should get these people off of your lawn." She said, changing the subject and throwing the front doors of the manor open, snatching up the megaphone. "May I have your attention, please? You all have sixty seconds to get off of this property before I release the dogs!"

She snickered to herself as the crowd was worked into a panic, women running into each other, trying to run away. "Mokuba?"

"Ren?"

"You guys don't really have dogs, do you?"

"Nope."

"Didn't think so." She laughed, speaking again into the microphone, "Those dogs are hungry for flesh, people!"


	3. Part 1, Chapter 3

But now that we've done some time, and I know who you are...

-----

It was truly amazing how many people one could cram onto the Kaibas' front lawn. Literally hundreds of people had come out for interviews, and only Ren had made it. One of hundreds, and she had the responsibility of shooing all of them off of the property. Not so difficult with the right bluff and a good poker face, but she usually didn't get that lucky. Fortunately enough, the Kaibas themselves were shrouded in mystery, and nobody knew what kind of security measures they had installed for loiterers and solicitors.

After shooing the last of the stragglers off of the Kaibas' lawn, Ren made her way back into the manor and proceeded to gawk about at the extravagance of the whole place. She allowed herself to get lost in the moment, nearly tripping over a coffee table. The mansion was ridiculous, and more lived in than she had assumed. It felt... like a home. Not a place that Kaiba crashed at every once in a while, it had a very distinct aura of livelihood.

But that may have just been because Mokuba lived there all year 'round. Who knew?

"So, you've already seen most of the lower floor, so let's just go on upstairs." Mokuba grinned, nudging the coffee table back into place, walking Ren to the stairs. He led her around the house, pointing out whose rooms belonged to whom, where she could go, and which rooms were off limits. Of course they had their secrets, they were a fairly well known family, but still so shrouded in mystery. Who were their parents? How did they come into so much money?

"And this is Seto's room." Said Mokuba, patting a pair of oak double-doors, "Do your best to stay out of here; Seto likes his privacy, obviously. If you really have to go in there, don't knock, just burst in and make it your goal to catch him wanking off."

Ren smirked, cocking an eyebrow at the mid-teen. "Aren't you a bit old to have a babysitter? You're, like, fourteen, right?"

"I'm fifteen, thanks." Mokuba corrected with a slight smile, continuing on with the tour, "I asked for a 'nanny', though. Just because it kinda gets lonely around here. I mean, the maids are all nice, but they're all pretty old. I just like someone to talk to."

She nodded following him through the manor as he pointed out bathrooms and, if need be, emergency exits and fire extinguishers. "I can respect that, I guess. You don't have a lot of friends, then?"

"Not really." He said, "To be honest, everyone that I could consider a real friend is out of high school and on the DM circuts. But this whole 'babysitter' thing worked out well for both Seto and I. He's pretty paranoid, for seeming so chill all the time. You have no idea how often crazies come out of the woodwork and try to kidnap me for ransom. I've been fine for the past year or so, but you never know."

Ren frowned, brow furrowing. Kidnapping? Crazies? She shook her head. They truly were a different kind of family, older brother bringing home the bacon for the rest of the family, all so they could live on their own. It was almost admirable, how the elder Kaiba had to give up his teen years in order for the two of them to live without a hitch...

But then she remembered that this was Seto Kaiba she was thinking of. Nothing he did was ever that noble.

"So, that's pretty much the whole house." Said Mokuba, finding his way back to the kitchen and settling down into a plush barstool, "And I think what's going to happen is that you'll drive me to school, pick me up afterwards, hang out with me until Seto gets home, and you'll be off. Maybe stay for dinner, if Seto's in the mood. But you'll probably be doing that often after you've been here for a while. You'll grow on him."

"I doubt that." Ren snorted, plopping down next to the teen, propping her elbow onto the counter, "He doesn't like me, and I don't really like him either."

Mokuba laughed, tracing the polished marble pattern of the bar counter with his index finger. "You'll grow on him." he repeated, "Even if you have to force it. If I like you, he'll tolerate you. It's as simple as that."

"Oh, really?" She smirked, slouching over onto the counter and resting her cheek on a fleshy bicep, "I sat behind him in my Statistics class, and across the room in English. I think I've only ever actually talked to the guy once, and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. I don't really like people with big egos, and that guy's head... wow."

"Yup, that's my brother in a nutshell!" Mokuba chuckled, shaking his head, "He's really not like that at home, though. He'll be... normal enough here."

'Normal'. Ren really wanted to get his definition of the word 'normal', but she would pick that apart in time. They were worlds apart, Ren and the Kaibas, but she was at least a little optimistic. Perhaps she could find a way to see where they were coming from... as time passed.

"Food now?"

"You bet!" The teen grinned, "What are you making?"

"Well, I'm not a world-class chef, but I can make a mean..." Ren paused, gazing into the fridge. Caviar, salmon fillets, crab, filet mignon, fresh scallops... "No peanut butter and jelly?"

"Psh, I wish." He laughed, "There's really not a lot of junk food in the house, I have to go out and find it on my own."

She blinked twice, perplexed. Peanut butter and jelly was junk food? "Maybe I'll just call in a pizza..."


	4. Part 1, Chapter 4

_**You're so full of shit, how did I let it get so far?**_

"I thought you didn't live here anymore."

Ren smirked at her younger sister, standing at the front door of her childhood home. It had been a long, _long_ day at work, she had all of sixty dollars to her name, her fridge was filled with Smirnoff Ice and Parmesan cheese, and she was hungry as all hell. "I don't, but Mom likes to keep her children fed."

She brushed past Karin, using her shoulder to stabilize herself as she removed her shoes. It had been a while since she had last been home, and even though it wasn't her favorite place in the world, she couldn't deny the comfort that came with such a familiar place. It was a stark contrast to her tiny studio apartment; all arching doorways and broad windows and professional decoration. Everything was crisp and clean, very 'Home and Garden Magazine' in that it was just personalized enough to make it look like people still lived there, though sterile enough to make the house look as though it were on the market.

"Lobster ravioli and garlic bread for dinner." Karin quipped, following Ren into the living room, watching as she dropped her bag and coat into her favorite chair. She continued to ignore her younger sister, glancing into the dining room to see the table fully set for five, every utensil in its correct place, each perfectly pressed napkin folded in a neat little triangle. It was almost sickening, how perfect everything was. No wonder she moved out. "So why didn't you bring Emi? We'll pack a doggy bag for her. I know how much she loves Mom's cooking."

Ren stopped mid-stride and glanced over her shoulder at Karin. She stared at the slightly taller brunette for but a moment, before shoving her shoulder, an annoyed smirk splitting across her face. "Shut up, Karin."

"Do you still have that stain on your carpet?" Her sister teased, pink tongue poking out from between her teeth. Ren rolled her eyes, plopping down on the arm of the plush taupe sofa. Her sister followed suit, dropping into the armchair adjacent to the couch, legs draped over the side. Though Ren had almost five years on her sister, the pair really had much more in common than either of them would ever admit to one another.

Though Karin had far more realistic life goals, she and Ren had exactly the same sense of humor, and she shared her elder sister's love of mischief and mind games. After all, she had to put up with sixteen years worth of Ren as an older sister. There wasn't a much better coping mechanism than developing each and every one of her Ren's obnoxiously impish traits. The younger Kuroki was almost an exact clone of her sister, and Ren had always thought that Karin had been her parents' second attempt at making a perfect daughter. She had always considered her to be the prettiest of the three girls, with her full, pouty lips, high cheekbones, and long figure. Karin had a couple of inches on Ren, and her hair was much longer and a bit wavier, but she didn't mind. She had a full cup size on her younger sister. Take that, genetics.

"A stain isn't something that usually goes away, Karin." Ren smirked, propping her head up on her hand.

"Psh, it is if you get a Rug Doctor and clean it up like a real adult." Karin teased. "But what are you doing here, anyway? I know you're not _just_ hungry. What's up?"

Ren rolled her eyes. It seemed like that was all she ever did at her parents' home; roll her eyes and moan and sigh. As much as she loved her sisters, all they ever did (Karin, especially) was ask all these questions and prod at the things she least wanted to discuss. Admittedly, she had come over to talk about her untimely termination from Video Hut, and her new… gig… Though she hadn't quite worked out exactly how she was going to tell her parents that she was an overpaid babysitter.

She inhaled a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, her shoulders slumping. "So I told you about quitting VidHut, yeah?"

"I thought you said you got shitcanned."

"Yeah, so, I quit VidHut," Ren spat, nearly shouting over her younger sister. She shot Karin a venomous look, continuing her explanation. "Yeah. VidHut didn't end up working out like I wanted it to… So I got a new job."

"Oh, dear," a third voice chimed. "I wish you wouldn't switch jobs so frequently."

Ren bit her bottom lip, her shoulders tense and her hands gripping the arm of the sofa beneath her. Ah, shit. Plucking up her courage, she turned around, eye to eye with Reiko Kuroki.

Reiko was a sight to behold in navy blue tailored twill pants, peep-toe flats, and a flowing silk tunic. Just past fifty years old, she was perfectly put together, from her glowing makeup down to her polished toenails, exactly how Ren remembered her. Her arms were crossed beneath her bust, her dark brown gaze soft and concerning. She pulled her dark wavy ponytail over her shoulder and cocked her head at Ren. "Why don't you settle down into a more stable job, Sweetheart? It's so unsettling to see you switching jobs the way you do." She took a step forward, brushing Ren's hair out of her eyes, giving her shoulders a tight squeeze. "You've been eating something more substantial than Taco Bell, haven't you? Do you always have milk in the fridge?"

"_Yes_, Mom." Ren huffed, staring up at her mother. A tiny smile spread across her face, and she rose to her feet, wrapping her arms around the elder woman. "I missed you. And this job is… a bit more stable. Hopefully after I've finished there, I'll have saved enough money to start printing and showing my work to galleries."

Her mother leveled her with a pained smile and a sympathetic gaze. "Of course you will, Ren." She turned on her heel and quirked her finger, beckoning her children to follow. "Come on and get some dinner, girls. Michiyo will be home from soccer late tonight, and your father's just sitting down, so we'll start without her."

Ren held in her sigh and padded after her mother and sister. Though she tried her best to act like her mother's blatant disappointment in her had no effect, her words hurt. Ren hadn't needed college. She didn't want college. She wanted to take pictures and be an artist and sell her work in galleries and live her dream. Though, her dream just was not satisfying enough for her parents. Her mother at least tried to hide her disappointment with forced smiles and promises that she would love her no matter what she did, but her father…

"Is that Ren?" She caught a glimpse of peppery hair as she entered the dining room, and all of her sensibilities screamed for her to put as much distance between herself and the patriarch at the head of the table as she could. "What is this I hear about you blowing through another job? How many does that make this year, Ren? Twelve?"

"I quit the video store, actually." Ren quipped, letting the acid on her tongue fly despite her better judgment. "And this new job I got is number _eight_, and the last one for a while."

She flopped into her chair and laid her napkin in her lap, all the while feeling his stare boring into her forehead. She avoided his gaze at all costs, knowing full well that the moment she made eye contact, shit would hit the fan. She jabbed her fork into a particularly fat ravioli and heaped a massive pile onto her plate, completely focused on the task at hand. She would not let him get to her, she swore to herself. She was not the girl she used to be. She was older, and wiser, and she would be _damned_ if she let him agitate her like he used to.

Silence drew taut across the table as the Kurokis began their meal. Just the way Ren liked it. Her family had never been horribly talkative. Opinionated? Absolutely. Touchy-feely, small-talky? Not so much. It was a nice contrast from living with Emi, who had never _ever_ shut her mouth under any circumstances. And to top that, she was _loud_, in every aspect of life. Loud talker, loud eater, loud in bed; it was ridiculously grating. She had a headache just thinking about her.

"**Ren.**" She snapped into attention and locked eyes with her father, staring her down from across the table. Fuck.

"So? What s this 'permanent job' then, Ren?" Ren grimaced, gripping her knife and fork tight. Shit, that was unprovoked. An unprovoked attack meant that he was in a mood. "And while we're at it, why don't you explain why you were fired from the last place?"

She chewed at the inside of her lip, biting back a snappy retort. Ren stared into his dark, deep, soul-sucking eyes, and all of the pent-up hate within her threatened to burst.

It wasn't difficult to see that Ren and Ken Kuroki brought out the worst in one another, though it hadn't always been that way. She could remember being young and naïve, believing every word her father told her, believing that if she dedicated her life to her studies, that one day she would become a doctor or a businesswoman, _or_, the holy grail of ambitions, take over her father's chain of hospitals. Which, admittedly, would have been a great career, but Ren realized at a young age that she just was not happy spending all of her time working. Her parents had filled her schedule to overflowing since the day she had began pre-school, stuffing her free time with soccer practice, after-school tutoring, English classes, classical piano. And then Heaven forbid she ever have a summer to herself. If it wasn't summer classes, it was camp, and if it wasn't camp, her mother found _some_ ungodly class for her to take to fill her time.

It was at the age of fourteen, just as she was entering high school, that Ren had decided that enough was enough. Communication had not been an option with her parents; she had tried and failed. So she botched her soccer tryout, joined the track team, bought her first camera, and ditched every single one of her piano classes. It was from that point on that she filled most of her spare time with being grounded. But Ren didn't mind. She was as free as a high school girl could get. But that freedom didn't come without repercussions. While her relationship with her mother remained intact, her father had taken it upon himself to lecture her at length, on an almost weekly basis, about how she was throwing her life away by choosing photography over the family business. In turn, Ren had taken it upon herself to pester him at length, on an almost weekly basis. Their relationship hadn't recovered since then.

"I _quit_ Video Hut because that stupid cow Mizuhashi was completely unbearable, the hours were shit, the wages were even _more_ shit, and I didn't need it anymore." Ren quipped, leveling her father with a deadpan gaze. "Besides, I'd only been out of work for like… two days before I got this new job. What's your damage?"

"Ren, when will you learn that in order to succeed, you need to respect your supervisors, and climb the corporate ladder?" Ren rolled her eyes and stabbed her fork into a particularly meaty hunk of ravioli, settling in for a nice, long lecture. "You make things so hard on yourself by arguing and speaking out of turn; if you would only keep your mouth shut—"

"No, no." Ren shook her head, stuffing another forkful of food into her mouth. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and gestured pointedly at him with her fork. "I'm not just gonna sit back and let any supervisor of mine be a dick to me just because they rank higher than I do. It's _stupid_, and is why women get fucked around with in offices; because they're too scared to say anything about their bosses. I would rather lose my job and keep my dignity, thanks. Oh, and by the way, respect is something that is _earned_. You give it, you get it, and that woman never gave me _shit._"

The pair glowered across the table at one another, caught at an impasse. Ren smirked and dropped her fork, settling back into her chair. He knew that she was absolutely right and that gave her a huge leg up. He was intimidated, and that meant that she could now effectively fuck with him without worrying about him snapping back.

"So, what is this new job you've got, Ren?" Karin asked, leaning forward onto her forearms. "I'm actually curious, for once, what you found so fast."

If Ren could have kicked her sister beneath the table, she would have. She had fully intended to tell Karin and Michiyo _in private_ that she was Mokuba Kaiba's personal nanny, but it was the last thing that she wanted to discuss with her parents. It was exactly this kind of job that her father would scrutinize to death, and that her mother would have to force another smile over.

"Well…" She began, inhaling a deep breath, "It's kind of… a really really… sweet… nanny gig?"

The silence stretched again across the dining room, all eyes glued to Ren. She cursed herself for her stupidity; she had known that telling them wouldn't have gone over well. Even her sister was staring her down like she was a leper. Fuck.

Her father spoke first, leaning forward onto the table and lacing his fingers together. He heaved a heavy sigh. "You're serious."

"Dad—"

"Ren, I paid you to babysit your sisters when you were twelve! How do you expect to support yourself on a babysitter's salary?"

"Buh— Dad!"

"How do you expect to move forward in life when you keep on stepping back! Ren, I want for you to grow up! Go to college! Get a real job! Move. On!"

"Dad!" Ren snapped, pounding her fist on the table, rattling the silverware. "I'm doing this so I _can_ move forward! With this money I'm making, I can make prints of my work, I can show them to galleries, I can go to art shows! I can be a _real_ artist! I can live doing what I _love_!"

"Nonsense! What sort of babysitter earns enough to do all that?"

"_Seto Kaiba's_ nanny does."

Karin's fork slipped from her fingers and clattered angrily against her plate. Her mother's eyes were wide as saucers; her father's mouth hung slack, a quizzical look painting his features. Fuck. Now Ren had done it.

"Actually, it's his little brother I'm babysitting, but still—"

"That's fuckin' awesome!" Karin exclaimed, eyes alight with mischievous glee, "How much is he paying you? Like a million dollars, right? That is so fuckin' cool! When do I get to meet them?"

Her mother sat stunned in her seat, slowly shaking her head. She kept attempting to smile, but came up just short of the real deal each time. While Reiko knew that Seto Kaiba was a wealthy and successful businessman, she _also_ was an avid tabloid reader. She never knew what to believe in those gossip rags, but if all of them were saying that Seto Kaiba tore through women like tissue paper, then there must have been some validity there. And she was making it perfectly plain by the look on her face that she did not trust her daughter's judgment one bit.

"Mom…" Ren pleaded.

Her father gave his head a violent shake, threw his napkin to the table and rose from his chair. "Money does not equate to success, Ren." He snapped, tugging his tie loose. "You will never succeed, riding the coattails of the rich and famous."

He turned on his heel and stomped from the dining room, only stopping to tug on his wife's sleeve, beckoning her to follow. She graced Ren with another worried gaze, before rising from her chair and following him out.

Ren lolled her head back and clapped her hands to her face, pressing her fingers into her eye sockets. "Fuck." She cursed, thumping her head down against the table.

Karin patted her on the shoulder, a sympathetic smile touching her lips. "Next time you think about coming over? Re-assess just how hungry you think you are."

"Fuck you, Karin."


	5. Part 1, Chapter 5

_**Well, you ruined my life.**_

"Mokuba, let's _go_! Kick it into gear, bro!" Ren craned her head from where she stood to peer up the stairs. They were about to be late. For the second time this week. It was Tuesday.

If there was one thing that Ren had learned in her short month of working at the Kaiba estate, it was that Mokuba slept like a rock. And that he was an absolute bear when she finally did manage to wake him up. They hadn't had a problem with punctuality yet, but this week they certainly were racking up some tardy points.

"Come on, Mokuba!" She shouted up the staircase. "Pants, no pants, we gotta go!"

"You know that getting him up and to school on time is a part of your duties, don't you?"

Ren grit her teeth. This had been what she was afraid of. She had gotten lucky yesterday; Kaiba had left the manor early and hadn't been around to see them leave late. But here he was now, staring down at her with cold eyes, waiting around to watch her drop the ball. It figured. She had been off to such a good start.

"Yeah, I'm not about to burst into a fifteen year old boy's room to make him get ready for school." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "I like not being a registered sex offender. "

"I like when my nannies are competent."

Ren bit her tongue so hard she thought she might draw blood. And her girlfriends wondered why she hated him. All they ever talked about was his lithe figure and his "_gorgeous eyes_". She could think of a million different things that could make her forget about his pretty face. Which wasn't likely to stay pretty, the way that scowl was chiseled in there.

Though it had been just a short month, her minimal exposure to her boss had managed to multiply her loathing of him at least tenfold. She was actually surprised. Just the tiny quips and judgmental stares she had taken from Kaiba were enough to intensify her hate to a level almost unbelievable for someone her size. She honestly didn't know where she kept all of her rage sometimes. What had really killed her, though, was the fact that she couldn't fight back. They weren't in high school anymore, and she couldn't just let fly whatever snark she wanted. Kaiba had her in the palm of his hand, and she would have to hold her tongue, whether she liked it or not.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Mokuba chirped, running down the stairs to the front door. "Oh. You're still here, Seto?"

"Get in the damn car!" Ren thrust the teen his backpack and flung the door open, practically dragging him to the limousine, which had been waiting in the wings for the past ten minutes. "We have nine minutes, let's _go!_"

Mokuba had but a second to wave goodbye to his brother before the door of the limo slammed behind Ren and she urged the driver to "fucking step on it". She heaved a sigh and slumped back into the plush seat. "What a douche…"

The younger Kaiba arched an eyebrow and she waved a hand in the air. "Not you. You're awesome, except for the problems you have with alarm clocks." Ren smirked. "Your fuckin' brother, though…"

She paused for a moment, and nearly flung her bag across the limo when she realized what she had said. "It's not that bad though! He just has these ways about him that, like, I dunno, _grate _on you. It's gotta be mostly me, really, I just hold grudges and…" She frowned. "I'm sorry."

Mokuba smiled and nudged her arm. "He's not that bad. He's just… a little socially inept. And I told you; you'll grow on him. And he'll grow on you too."

"Parasitic cyst."

The boy snorted. "Progress is progress!" He exclaimed, "And you guys will learn to get along sooner or later. Besides, as long as I like you, he'll have to at least be civil. And I like you pretty well, so far."

Ren smiled softly. "You're a life saver, kiddo. How'd you get to be so awesome?"

Mokuba grinned, gathering up his backpack as the limo rolled to a halt in front of the school. "Easy!" He opened the door and stepped out into the light. "My brother raised me!"

After delivering Mokuba at the school with four minutes to spare, Ogino, Kaiba's driver, had made the mistake of taking Ren to the manor, instead of returning her to her apartment. She hadn't bothered to correct him. Ogino was nice enough; she could sympathize with him. He spent the bulk of his workweek around Kaiba too. So she bid him a good day with a nod and a wave of her hand, and was met with a tip of his driver's cap. He was a little stoic, too. She wasn't sure if he was just that way, or if years driving Kaiba around had made him like that.

Ren shook her head and unlocked the front door, promising herself that she would never let herself be trained like Ogino. She wouldn't be stifled. She had fought too hard to become the girl she was today; she had overcome her own damn parents working against her. She wasn't about to let Seto Kaiba be the death of her spunk.

But so far, she was surviving. Mokuba was a great kid; funny, smart, adventurous. She felt a bit like a doting mother, but she had to admit, he was really a joy to be around. She had found herself wondering on several occasions how someone so fun, so happy, could possibly be related to someone so… _Kaiba_.

She imagined it had something to do with the way they had been raised; the death of their stepfather, Seto taking charge of the company at such a young age, how he had to grow up so fast. It certainly explained Seto's fixation on that _fucking_ card game; it was most likely his last grab at his childhood.

But it didn't explain Mokuba. Mokuba was disciplined, but nowhere near as _rigid_ as Seto. They had experienced the same childhood, same upbringing, the same sorrows, hadn't they?

She shook her head. She'd done an awful lot of Googling over the past couple of weeks. But still, she hadn't found any explanation for why the Kaibas were the way they were. She flopped down onto the couch and clutched one of the plush pillows to her chest. She supposed it was just one of the mysteries of the universe, and it just wasn't worth _that_ much of her time to figure out why Kaiba was a raging asshole. She shrugged her shoulders, settling into the deep grey couch cushions.

"Fuck 'im." She mumbled, stifling a yawn. Ren had at least another hour and a half before she had to pick things up around the manor… so that was another hour and a half she had to contemplate the potential for vampirism or exposure to Kryptonite regarding the Kaiba family. She shook her head, kicking her feet up onto the ottoman. Her eyes slid shut and her shoulders slumped. "He was probably just born that way…"

She woke with a start, eyes snapping open to an equally surprised Seto Kaiba in her face. Well, not so much in her face, but close enough proximity to jerk her out of her slumber. She stared right back into his frosty eyes, completely shocked. What the fuck was he doing here, why the fuck was he in her face, and why did he have to be so damn close? She cleared her throat, gathering her mind back together to finally speak.

"Pump the brakes, Prince Charming."

He looked stunned for maybe a few seconds before his face hardened into his familiar scowl. He pulled away and slapped an envelope onto the coffee table, folding his arms across his chest. "I can void that, you know."

Ren sat up and scowled right back, snatching up the slip of paper. "Oh, what, you were giving me the creeper eyes while I was asleep, what did you want me to s-"

She clamped down on her tongue, nearly hard enough to draw blood. Fuck. **Fuck.** This was the first real interaction she'd had with Kaiba without Mokuba around, and here she was, accusing him of creeping on her in her sleep. She actually _liked_ her job at the manor, and though she was loathe to admit it, she needed Kaiba to keep signing her paychecks. She would be royally screwed if she lost her job now.

"So what's this, anyway?" She quickly changed the subject, flipping the envelope over. In fine, crisp print across the center was simply, 'Kuroki'.

"What's it look like?"

'_A LOVE LETTER'_ was screeching through her mind, but she silenced her inner bitch, choosing simply to smirk up at him and tear open the envelope. A check and a pay stub slid into her hand, and her heart dropped into her stomach. Oh fuck. He was hand-delivering it. She flipped the check over and laid her eyes on the comma. _**Oh fuck**_. She didn't know if this was a severance package or if she'd actually earned the whole damn check.

Ren glanced back up at Kaiba, trying to keep her facial expressions under control. "This is a month?"

He stared at her, rolling his eyes. "_Yes._ Can't you do math?"

She stared quizzically back for another moment, before looking back down at the rather hefty check in her hand. "So… I should go get Mokuba soon, shouldn't I?"

"If you like having a job, you should." He shook his head and turned on his heel, striding off for the stairs without another word.

Ren sat with her mouth agape for but a moment, before launching herself from the couch, shoving her shoes onto her feet as she ran after him. "Hey!" She stumbled around the coffee table, but managed to make it to the staircase unscathed, placing herself right between Kaiba and the second floor. "Why'd you hand deliver the check? You scared the Hell out of me; I thought you were gonna can me."

He paused, regarding her carefully. His eyes scanned her face slowly, as though he were rehearsing his answer in his head. "I had an errand to run."

Lie. Ren was an expert liar, and though she was certain Kaiba was too, she could see a lie coming from a mile away. She leveled him with a deadpan gaze, searching his face for answers, but deep in her heart, she knew not to expect any. Though, she didn't have to search very long or very hard. The telltale clacking of high heels against hardwood floor echoed all the way down the stairs and right into Ren's nosy little ears.

She smirked at her boss, his face still completely unreadable. "Were you gonna introduce me?"

"Why would I? She's not anyone notable. And neither are you."

That quip stabbed deep into her stomach, and Ren stood reeling, seething, absolutely burning with hatred. By the time she gathered her thoughts together and had prepared a heavy arsenal of insults to fling back, Seto had gone, probably to bang his dime-store dame. She didn't know what was more infuriating; the way that he referred to the woman he was about to run off and fuck, or if it was the way that he had put Ren on the same level as his nameless afternoon delight.

It had taken her a couple of hours, but Ren had eventually managed to cool herself off after her Kaiba encounter. She was still peeved over the 'nobody' comment, but the hefty paycheck and warm sack of Taco Bell perched on the back of her Vespa certainly were helping her mood. She had worked jobs that were far more degrading and that paid much less, so she had resolved herself to suck it up and stick with it, at least for the time being.

She rolled to a halt in front of her apartment complex and began the trek up to her home. The complex was one of the older ones in her neighborhood, seven stories high with a traditional western façade that had been dulled by time. The stairway was narrow and carpeted in a lush forest green, leading three floors up to her tiny apartment. It wasn't much, but for the past two years, it had been her home. And right in that moment, she could think of nothing better than to curl up in her beanbag chair with her chalupas and watch about twenty hours worth of Game of Thrones.

Ren frowned, remembering that Emi had taken her TV. Goddamn Emi. In the past month, she had almost forgotten that she even existed. She shrugged it off, resolving to just sit in front of her laptop for the rest of the afternoon. Nothing was going to get her down today.

Until her gaze landed on her front door. Her heart fell into her stomach and she stopped dead in her tracks. An orange, laminated notice was taped to the door, bright and aggressive, **Eviction Notice** bold and slapping her right in the face. Her heart rate quickened as she snatched the notice off of the door, juggling her food and drink as her eyes darted across the paper.

_No._ She threw the notice to the ground. _No. _She dug violently through her purse. _No. _She fumbled with her cell phone, nearly stabbing one of the keys off as she managed to dial the proper number. _No. _"Matsuo Shinichi."

"UM, YEAH, HI, THIS IS REN."

"Oh, Ren, good to hear from you. I take it you got the notice." Her landlord spoke softly and evenly, but with a certain firmness behind it that Ren completely disregarded and barreled right through. She and Shinichi had been amicable up until that point. But with an unwarranted eviction notice on her door, she was in no mood for pleasantries.

"I got your fucking notice! What the Hell! I have your money in my hand _right now!_"

"That's all well and good now, Ren, but I can't keep waiting around for you." He said, his calm demeanor only adding fuel to her fire. "You know, the coming in at all hours of the night, the late and half paid rent, those stains in the carpet from the last check-in we had… I'm very sorry, but you are a liability and you'll have to live somewhere else."

"But!" She sputtered, hear heart slamming around in her chest, "That was Emi! She doesn't—she left! It's just me now, and I have a new job, and I—"

"I'm sorry, Ren. I just can't have an unreliable renter any longer. I already have a couple set up to move in this weekend. You have two days to have all of your belongings moved out. Good luck wherever it is you may go from here."

The phone went silent and her soda slipped from her hand, hitting the ground hard and splashing over her canvas shoes. She clapped a hand over her mouth, holding in her emotions for fear that everything in her mind might burst out. Terror gripped her heart, squeezing hard until she felt it might pop. She was beyond intelligent brain functions. She was almost to the point of being beyond controlling her bodily functions. But she gripped herself tight, physically holding herself together. She shut her eyes against the world in an effort to keep everything inside. But to her dismay, tears prickled against the back of her eyes and squeezed through, catching in her eyelashes. A mangled sob burst past her lips and she tightened her grip on her mouth, fighting everything back in.

_Stop it. Get your shit together, girl._ She let her eyes slide open just a crack, her gaze immediately finding the angry orange notice. It was mocking her. She had to move, but she didn't have the means. She had nowhere to go, nobody to run home to. She had work the next morning. She had a month until her next paycheck. She had to call somebody. She had to do something. She had to get away from that damn notice.

"Fuck!" She hissed. She took up her cell phone once again. It rang only three times on the other end.

"Hey." Ren's voice cracked only once, struggling as hard as she could to keep herself together. She felt ashamed enough as it was. "I need a favor."


	6. Part 1, Chapter 6

**You were never my friend, and all I can hope is that I never see you again. **

Ren leaned back into the lush chaise in the sitting room at the Kaiba estate and buried her face in her hands. She needed to get her head straight. A clear mind was all that she wanted, just five minutes of silence and calm, but with all that had happened in the past ten days, her mind just couldn't quit.

In ten short days, Ren had lost her apartment to Emi's carelessness, lost her belongings to the dank of a storage center, and lost eight hundred dollars to the hotel she had been staying in. None of her friends from high school had the means to take her in, and her search for a new apartment had so far been fruitless. She was quickly running out of money, and with payday more than two weeks away, she was running out of places to stay. The hotel that she was holed up in, while cheap, had hemorrhaged an unbelievable amount of money from her, and was not cheap enough to accommodate her for any more than two or three weeks. And the more time she spent in the hotel, the smaller her security deposit on a potential new apartment became. If she couldn't find something soon, she would have to move back in with her parents. Or starve. She couldn't decide which was worse.

In short, Ren was royally screwed.

"Ren?" She let her fingers drag from her cheeks, down her neck, to pull at her shoulders. After a brief pause, she glanced up at Mokuba, who she had completely forgotten about. The teen was perched in a chair at the opposite end of the room, a textbook in his lap and a pencil in his teeth. She had been slipping up with Mokuba lately, too. Adding more fuel to the tire fire that was her life. "Are you feeling okay?"

What made matters worse was that the kid was just too perceptive for his own good. He had side-eyed her pretty hard when she showed up to pick him up for school with eyeliner in her ear and her helmet buckled to her hair instead of beneath her chin, but he hadn't said anything about it. It didn't look like she would be so lucky today.

"Iiiiiiii'm fine." She gave an unconvincing smile, sitting up and crossing her legs beneath her. "Totally cool. I just didn't sleep that great last night."

Mokuba raised an eyebrow. _Shit. _"You've just been kind of out of it lately. Is something wrong? My brother didn't say anything to you, did he?"

Ren smiled despite herself, and held in a chuckle. "No, surprisingly enough, _Master Kaiba_ has been behaving himself lately. I've just…" Her smile faded. "Things have just been rough, Mokuba."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"You really want to know?" Mokuba leveled her with a deadpan stare and she heaved a sigh, lifting her hands before dropping them into her lap, defeated. "I—fuck. I lost my apartment last week."

"You what?"

"Don't tell anybody!" She exclaimed, holding up a finger to silence him. "I'm not kidding. It's embarrassing enough as it is; I don't need anyone else knowing that I got booted out of my apartment because I was too stupid to see that Emi was an awful person to room with. I lost my security deposit, all of my shit is in this storage facility that smells like fucking fish, I'm living in this hotel that's sucking all of my money away… I don't have anyone I can live with because all of my friends are living in dorms and are just as broke as I am… And I have two more weeks until payday and I don't fuckin' know what I'm going to eat in between now and then, but it's probably gonna either be nasty ramen or dicks!"

Mokuba didn't speak for a minute or so, and Ren bit her bottom lip, averting his eyes. "Sorry." She said, studying the wallpaper carefully. "It just all sort of…"

"Why didn't you tell me? I can ask Seto to advance you the hours—"

"I don't want his help." Ren snapped, a scowl pulling at her upper lip. The last thing she wanted to do was ask her parents for help, but coming in at a close second was asking Kaiba for a favor. She was already pressed hard beneath his thumb; she didn't need for his grip on her to be any tighter than it was. "I'm not gonna take anything from him that I haven't earned. He's _just_ my boss. He signs the paychecks for the hours that I've worked. That's all."

Mokuba frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. "Aren't _we _friends, though?"

"God dammit, Mokuba."

"And don't friends help out friends when they need it?"

"Mokuba, I'm supposed to be your nanny."

"So we're _not _friends, then?"

Ren cursed, her face flushing madly. Though she loved the kid dearly, he was stupidly persuasive, to a point that almost made her hate his guts. He cocked an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at his lips. He knew exactly how to twist her arm and get his way. The little dick.

"Why don't I talk to Seto and—"

"No." She said firmly. "I don't want it. I don't need it. He doesn't care. And I'll figure something out."

Mokuba sighed, and slumped his shoulders. "Are you sure you've got everything under control? Because it doesn't sound like you do."

"I don't, but I will. Sooner or later." He cast her a skeptical gaze, and she grinned back. "Don't worry about me. I'll figure it out."

He frowned, his eyebrows furrowed like he didn't believe her. She grinned her biggest, fakest, 'trust me' grin, and his frown gradually faded. "Would you eat dinner with us more often, then? So you don't have to starve."

"That, I will do." She grinned broadly, never a woman to turn down a free meal. Especially not one made by the Kaiba estate cooks.

"Awesome! I'll let the cooks know you're staying tonight then." Mokuba chirped, snatching up his phone and firing off a quick text message. Ren sputtered, words stumbling over her tongue as she tried to stop him, but it was to no avail. She hadn't exactly meant _tonight_. But she sighed, accepting her fate. Free food was free food. And though she wasn't exactly in the frame of mind to have dinner with Mokuba and his older brother, she couldn't complain. She could deal with Kaiba if it meant a hot meal.

"Thanks, Mokuba."

The following two hours were the most intense of her entire year, spent psyching herself up for the upcoming dinner with the Kaibas. Most of her interactions with the eldest Kaiba had been fleeting and enraging, and the prolonged exposure was bound to cause Ren to have a brain aneurism if she didn't properly prepare herself. She only wished she'd had the time to run to the hotel and change. She was dressed in yesterday's jeans and a plain white tank top, and had haphazardly thrown on an ill-fitting cardigan when the weather had taken a turn for the cool. She could see Kaiba now, scrutinizing every tiny wrinkle, and the thought of her appearance under his gaze was enough to make her skin crawl.

It wasn't long before there was a rustling at the front door, and a wave of dread swept over the nanny. A scowl began to pull at the corner of her mouth, but she squeezed her lips into a tight line, gritting her teeth. She turned from where she was perched on the arm of the couch, and there he was in the doorframe, frazzled from a day of work, an equally agitated look on his face. "Evening, Kaiba."

His eyes shifted to hers and a scowl crossed his face. "Kuroki." He said, turning away from her to hang his coat. "You can leave now."

As Ren opened her mouth to protest, Mokuba cut in front of her, a broad grin on his face as he greeted his brother. "Actually, Seto, I invited Ren to have dinner with us. If that's okay by you."

Seto glanced back at Ren, just as put off as she was to dine together. The closest they had ever come to sharing a meal was back in high school, when Kaiba would read in the classroom Ren slept through lunch in. That had been an unpleasant enough experience, and he hadn't changed much since then. This was bound to be bad.

"I thought we could treat her. You know? For a job well done?" Mokuba grinned, and Seto cast Ren a skeptical gaze.

"Must have been a pretty damn good job, then."

"Oh, you know, just getting to school on time. Microwaving snacks. Slaying dragons." Ren smirked. "Above and beyond, right?"

Seto remained silent as he led the way to the dining room, where the table was set for three. There was a full dinner spread out for them; a seared tuna, garlic bread, a bottle of what looked like red wine, and the most colorful salad Ren had ever seen. She had to fight to keep herself from drooling. She hadn't seen a meal so delicious in years.

Seto and Mokuba took their places at the respective heads of the table, and Ren sat herself awkwardly between them, right in Seto's line of vision. Shit. But before long, the tense silence folded and the brothers were chatting freely about their days. Which weirded Ren right out. Kaiba speaking candidly, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he listened to Mokuba talk about Mathletes practice. It was no different fron the way she talked with her sisters, but it was just strange to see it from Kaiba. Just when she had convinced herself that he was a robot, too.

"Oh! So, Seto, Ren has had a pretty interesting week too, y'know."

Ren coughed, choking on a cherry tomato. _No_**. **He was _not._ Seto raised an eyebrow, glancing her way. "Oh?"

"Yeah!" Mokuba continued, ignoring Ren's sputtering. "It's really kind of awful, actually. She's sorta homeless."

"_Shut up, Mokuba."_ She finally choked out, sucking down half of her glass of wine to clear her throat. "That's not anybody's business but mine."

"What?" He asked, an innocent smile on his face. "I just thought Seto might be interested."

Ren's face burned with hatred. Never had she wanted to punt someone into a wall so badly. "I don't think Kaiba wants to hear about—"

"Why are you homeless?"

Ren stopped, stunned into silence. "Uh…" she mumbled. "My old roommate was a liability and… caused my eviction."

"Where are you living, then?"

"In a hotel downtown. It's just temporary. The renting market is just rough right now. I'll have a new place soon."

"But you told me that you're losing money faster than you can keep a security deposit, and that—"

"Mokuba, shut _up."_

"Why don't you just stay with your parents?"

"Because I can't stand to live with them, Kaiba!" She snapped. She exhaled angrily, shaking her head. "I moved out at eighteen and I'm not going back. I don't need them telling me that I failed."

The table fell silent, and Ren couldn't have been more embarrassed. This was something that she didn't want to tell Mokuba, let alone Kaiba. And now she had snapped at him, and given him another reason to judge her. Fantastic.

"You should move into one of our spare rooms, then."

"WHAT?" Ren's mouth fell open, halfway between shock and disgust. "Mokuba, _no! _I didn't ask for this, Kaiba, I'm _fine." _She said, holding a hand up to keep Kaiba from laughing in her face.

"It's just a good idea, isn't it Seto?" Mokuba asked, grinning widely at his brother, whose brows were knit in confusion. "That was Ren doesn't have to drive back and forth from the city all day! It'll be like when we had that Governess!"

"_Mokuba, shut the fuck up. _I don't need you to do this."

"But wouldn't it be so convenient? What if there's an emergency at the company and we need you to look after me in a punch? You'd just be right here! You could eat with us and move all your stuff in so you wouldn't have to pay that storage center every month. It'd be so easy!"

"I'm not gonna freeload and burden you like that. I'm doing just fine."

"No, but Ren, you really aren't!" Mokuba exclaimed, effectively silencing her. He was absolutely right. She was screwed if she couldn't find an apartment in the next week. And though she appreciated his generosity, she hadn't the slightest idea how to accept it. "You need our help. Seto, tell her she needs our help."

Kaiba, who had been watching quietly, sat up and unlaced his fingers. Ren bit her lip, bracing for impact. Though Mokuba was all for this idea of her living on the estate, she knew that Seto would shut that right down. "I'm not going to let you freeload."

"Good." She said. "Cuz I'm not going to."

"How much was rent at your last apartment?"

She paused, raising an eyebrow. "…Why?"

"Because I'm not going to let you freeload. How much was it?"

"Seven-fifty."

Seto glanced back at Mokuba. "This is what you want?" The younger Kaiba grinned broadly, and Seto turned to Ren. "We'll do six, and I'll take it out of your paycheck."

"Wait." Ren held up a hand, taking a moment to let everything sink in. "You're going to let me live here?"

"You can either starve in a flea-bitten hotel or pay rent and be a live-in nanny. Obvious choice to me. Do you not wan—"

"NO! I mean, yes, duh, of course I'll take it!" And incredulous grin spread across Ren's face. She couldn't help her delight. Though this would mean spending every waking day with Kaiba, and would mean that she was no even more indebted to him, those were things she could get over. She had a place to live.

"Thank you so much, Kaiba. You're…" Her tongue had a hard time forming the words, "a life saver."

He 'hmm'ed in response, taking a long sip of wine. "You can move your things in Friday."

But Ren hardly heard him over the sound of her shrieking laughter. She threw herself from the table and grabbed Mokuba, yanking him from his chair and crushing him in a tight hug. "Mokuba, you little shit! I'd hit you if I didn't love you so much right now!" She grinned broadly as he laughed, mussing his hair. "I'm not gonna be poor!"

Though she was a bit trepidatious of what her future with the Kaibas would be, she couldn't help but feel uplifted. The clouds were parting. She could finally see the sun.


	7. AN WHOOPS

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I just wanted to update everyone on the status of _Like A Knife, _since I know my updates are rather erratic.

I'm a college student. I'm right in the middle of my spring semester and things are getting down to the wire. I'm working weekends, I'm in my good friend's wedding in a week, and I'm scrambling to finish cosplays for the summer, so needless to say, things have been busy around here. I am writing when I find the time, but it's been hard to come by nowadays.

I want to thank everyone who has been reading for being so patient with me. I know that my updates are few and far between, but all of you have been so absolutely wonderful and have given me the push to keep moving forward with this fic. There isn't a huge demographic for OC fanfiction, and you guys have all been so great and I'm absolutely thrilled with how well this fic has been received. I love writing it, and I'm so glad that you guys like reading it.

Rest assured that updates are on their way, and I've been working on quick drabbles to keep myself from growing stale.

I love you guys so much. Thanks for sticking with me.


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